Books banned in prison – Sova’s response
Sophie Wilson, Sova’s Chief Operating Officer expresses concern about the banning of books and cards being sent to prisoners as a result of new policy guidelines.
Sova is a charity that works in the heart of communities in England and Wales to help people steer clear of crime. We do this by making sure that when people find themselves in difficult situations they have someone on their side to help them make better choices so they can stay out of trouble and build better lives.
Our experience has shown us that for people to see new possibilities for themselves, they need to believe they can make good decisions. They need their family and friends. They need financial stability and the chance to work. They need a home. Quite simply, they need a second chance.
We are therefore very concerned by Mr Grayling's recent announcement regarding the ban on reading material being sent to prisoners. It is well known that offenders often have poor literacy skills which inevitably impacts on all aspects of their life. Countless research studies and statistics are widely available to evidence this. As a result, there are many projects whose sole purpose is to work with offenders to improve their basic skills.
Our experience has shown us that for people to see new possibilities for themselves, they need to believe they can make good decisions. They need their family and friends. They need financial stability and the chance to work. They need a home. Quite simply, they need a second chance.
We are therefore very concerned by Mr Grayling's recent announcement regarding the ban on reading material being sent to prisoners. It is well known that offenders often have poor literacy skills which inevitably impacts on all aspects of their life. Countless research studies and statistics are widely available to evidence this. As a result, there are many projects whose sole purpose is to work with offenders to improve their basic skills.
Sova has worked with many prisoners who cannot complete simple forms or read letters and documents and require assistance to do so. Without this support can lose accommodation, receive nil income and struggle to gain employment. Yet we then expect them to reintegrate into their local community and abstain from crime. Literacy lies at the core of being able to function in today's society. With more and more services only available online, basic literacy skills are essential. Sova mentors are regularly presented with letters and bills that their offenders are unable to read or understand. Without this support our clients would quickly accrue debt and risk losing their security (housing, utilities etc).
In our experience many prisoners' experience of formal education has been negative. Only during a prison sentence will they sometimes feel confident enough to address this in order to improve their lives in future. We often hear from the offenders and ex offenders that we work with that "I couldn't join a course because I couldn't complete the enrolment form". Prison provides an opportunity for these individuals to ask for support in confidence and use their time productively, whether in a classroom with peers in a similar situation or within the privacy of their cells.
We understand that the new policies introduced in November do not ‘ban’ reading in prisons per-se. Rather they limit the availability of books to those provided through the Library services – access to which is hugely restricted. By denying prisoners reading materials – or making it something they have to ‘earn’ – we are taking away the opportunity to take responsibility for their own situation and improve their lives. As one of our service users from our Sova Support Link project in London stated in response to the news about the ban “TVs are given to you in prison, but they dumb you down; people want to read about lots of different subjects to expand their minds and get acquainted with what they want to do on the outside”
Outside of the known benefits of reading in and of itself, the links with prisoners' families and friends is of huge relevance to this debate. Retaining family ties and strengthening these relationships is absolutely crucial to resettlement. There are a number of excellent schemes which actively promote strengthening the relationship between offenders and their children, and this policy seems at odds with the known resettlement pathways. Sending in a book, a picture, a card from a child to a parent in prison is all part of creating some sense of connection – for both those inside and outside the prison walls.
We understand that the new policies introduced in November do not ‘ban’ reading in prisons per-se. Rather they limit the availability of books to those provided through the Library services – access to which is hugely restricted. By denying prisoners reading materials – or making it something they have to ‘earn’ – we are taking away the opportunity to take responsibility for their own situation and improve their lives. As one of our service users from our Sova Support Link project in London stated in response to the news about the ban “TVs are given to you in prison, but they dumb you down; people want to read about lots of different subjects to expand their minds and get acquainted with what they want to do on the outside”
Outside of the known benefits of reading in and of itself, the links with prisoners' families and friends is of huge relevance to this debate. Retaining family ties and strengthening these relationships is absolutely crucial to resettlement. There are a number of excellent schemes which actively promote strengthening the relationship between offenders and their children, and this policy seems at odds with the known resettlement pathways. Sending in a book, a picture, a card from a child to a parent in prison is all part of creating some sense of connection – for both those inside and outside the prison walls.